1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a protective cap for a pressurized gas cylinder, and more particularly, to a fixed cap having cylinder data encoded thereon. The cap protectively shields a cylinder valve, and facilitates manual and automatic handling of the cylinder.
2. Prior Art
When a pressurized gas cylinder is returned from a customer for refilling, data imprinted, stamped or otherwise encoded on the outer wall of the cylinder must be properly read to permit the cylinder to be properly filled. In the case of an acetylene gas cylinder, the data carried on the outer wall of the cylinder includes the cylinder type (which defines its volume), and "tare weight" of the cylinder, i.e., weight of the cylinder including a porous mass contained within the cylinder, and the nominal charge of acetone solvent which should be present when the cylinder is properly filled. This imprinted or encoded cylinder data must be properly read and taken into account if an acetylene cylinder is to be safely filled.
A problem with previously proposed methods of encoding data on cylinders resides in the impermanent character of the resulting imprint. Due to the need to preserve the integrity of the cylinder itself, it is not possible to drill or otherwise deeply inscribe cylinder data into walls of the pressurized gas cylinders. Inasmuch as cylinders are sometimes handled relatively roughly during transport and use, inscribed cylinder data tends to wear away, or otherwise become damaged or disfigured. As the data becomes faded and less legible, reading the information become more difficult and can result in error.
Another problem which arises from the manner in which data is currently stamped or otherwise inscribed on cylinders is that the resulting markings do not lend themselves to automatic reading. In present practice, an operator must visually read cylinder data. This is time consuming, and can result in error not only due to improper reading, but also due to improper recording of the data.
While protective caps of various forms have been proposed for use with gas cylinders, many do not provide the desired type of protection for cylinder valves, and most do nothing to assist with manual and mechanical handling of the cylinders. Most previously proposed cylinder caps are removable, which means that these caps do not necessarily remain with the same cylinder at all times; hence, it is not feasible to utilize removable caps to provide surfaces on which cylinder data can be deeply inscribed, for serious errors can result if the data-inscribed cap is removed from the cylinder to which its data pertains, and is installed on a different cylinder.
3. The Referenced Applications
The referenced Filling System Case relates to novel and improved methods and apparatus for filling pressurized gas cylinders with acetylene. The present invention may be utilized advantageously in conjunction with the practice of the invention described in the Filling System Case.
The referenced Cooling System Case relates to novel and improved methods and apparatus for cooling selected wall portions of a pressurized gas cylinder as the cylinder is being filled. The invention of the Cooling System Case may be used to fill pressurized gas cylinders which employ the invention of the present application.